The dreaded February vacation

Normally that would sound pretty nice. Take some time to heal. If you’re Jaromir Jagr, that’s at least five days in which you won’t be further exasperated by your inability to score. If you’re Sean Avery, that’s at least five days in which you can show up in the gossip pages.

For the Rangers, though, my guess is next week is going to be torture.

Look, last night was bad for all the obvious reasons. The Rangers couldn’t score when they needed to, couldn’t get a big save when they needed one, and looked generally flabbergasted against a team that — in addition to having far superior facial hair — simply exhibited greater composure.

But last night on its own merits wouldn’t be so alarming if it didn’t follow up Tuesday’s clunker against the Kings. Or if it didn’t come on the heels of seven other losses to Western Conference opponents. Or, for that matter, if it didn’t follow up four months of hockey that has been maddeningly inconsistent.

Which brings me back to next week, because depending on what happens this weekend in their trip through the Delmarva Peninsula, the Rangers might well spend those five days watching the Buffalos and Bostons of the world eclipse them in the standings.

OK, so maybe that’s not the end of the world. There’s still plenty of hockey left, and the Rangers were even further back at this point last year. But you again have to wonder whether this team has another run in it.

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A frustrated reader stopped by the press box in the waning seconds last night — I didn’t catch your name, but I dig the Ortmeyer jersey — and said he had enough of the “Honor, Respect, Tradition” opening before home games.

I’m with you. For all the Rangers’ good intentions, that opening seems awkward right now.

Why not just a montage of clips of great moments in team history? Believe it or not, there’s enough to go with there. From the GAG line to JD’s performance against the Isles in ’79, to an endless supply from ’94.

Heck, throw in some clips from last year’s Atlanta series or Michal Rozsival’s double-OT goal against the Sabres.

131 Comments

Sam,
there hasn’t been a run in this team all year, maybe except in november. To me, the game in montreal when they came back from 3 down to win should have been that signature game that turns your season around but it didn’t. Because of that I think this team is what it is, a 500 team, win some, lose some. That might be good enough to get us in the playoffs but I don’t know about other ranger fans but that doesn’t excite me.

perry’s goal was one hank needs to have, but that entire play was created by the lack of coverage on the point. our forwards are really clueless sometimes, when it comes to realizing that a d-man is jumping into the slot.

also, quoting a fellow season ticket holder from 419, the slot is basically virgin territory.

we are a perimeter team, and you can only win as a perimeter team with blazing speed.

The Rangers are too predictable. The east-west nonsense has to stop. Didn’t Renney’s “crash the net” yelling work for a couple of games? The lack of a simple defense is also crippling. We need 17 wins to make the playoffs.. good luck.

This team should not even be allowed to see pictures of the Cup. They should be forced to drink out of plates and bowls as a reminder of their stature in the league. They are so far behind where they could and should be that they should have to win the cup twice before getting to drink from it once. I hate this organization. I hate the our â€œtraditionsâ€. Potvin never sucked nearly as much as that moronic chant does.

This year was the harshest reality check that the organization has extrememly little interest in winning. It is the reality here. Selling shit to idiot fans will always be more important than actually winning. Weâ€™ve been looking for moves to be made since NOV/DECâ€¦and NOTHING HAS CHANGED. THIS FUCK MALIK IS STILL HERE. Itâ€™s not even about Malik, itâ€™s about the fact that a real organization would have addressed that problem in another way than having Renney massage his balls for him a little more. Make a change at all costs when you have a cancer like him around. If you had cancer in your body would you let it live and grow there or would you do everything you could to remove it? (THATS THE ANALOGY for anyone from LI) F#ck the Rangers, and f#ck the fans who facilitate this business model. F#ck you for still *buying into it* this late in the season that weâ€™re still in it to win it.

If you havenâ€™t realized, the players are actually pulling out of it. Guys who have been busting tail all year trying to make it work, you can see it in thier eyes now, theyâ€™re done scrambing for answers. Expect to see less and less from them as they 1 by 1 realize itâ€™s a lost cause and that they have boarded a sinking ship. Enjoy Staal/Dubinsky/Dawes while you can while they are still dumb eager kids, soon enough that will change, and they will become either greedy or disgruntled or both. The New York way.

Putting on the game at home for me has become as much of a charade as playing has for this team. I go and put it on and now its just kinda on, i donâ€™t feel anything one way or the other when either team scores. I know hockey enough to know that the Rangers are just not a team despite the Wâ€™s they have. They have won games but they have very very very rarely â€œbeatenâ€ teams. More often than not its the other team having an off night.

Why does the Jagr line seem insistent on believing they can generate offense from behind the net and along the halfboards? Hello? It hasn’t been working…STOP.

It’s terrible to watch Hank regress. He was better when he was winning big for and in Sweden. Someone seems to believe their own hype. He needs a job threat and a babysitter.

And, you know what, trade anyone on O, including the youth. Just trade them for other youth. I’m cool with losing two second line guys under 25 for one first line guy under 25. Only no trade ever guys: maybe Girardi, maybe Hank, and definitely Staal. That’s it.

Hey Salt, you having a bad day buddy. I agree with some of what you say. But ya know, did anyone think the GIANTS could win this year? I know its late in the season but I think you may be a bit exteme there. Why bother putting an # in F#CK if you already said it once IN CAPS?

Since I haven’t been to a Rangers home game in ages (I see them play the Devils in NJ), could someone please explain to me what the â€œHonor, Respect, Tradition opening before home games” is all about? Thanks.

I’ll give you a hug…I agree with most of what you posted and feel your pain buddy. I’ll take heat for this but I wish they would lose the rest of their games just so management would be FORCED into making chages ie, coach, Jagr, Malik etc. etc.

I agree that the montage before the games with Renney narrating it is weird and awkward. Plus if Renney is talking about tradition in that clip, as you said, why not show some pics or footage of past Rangers, not just current Rangers. Renney saying, “we will be proactive not reactive,” in his coachspeak just doesnt get me pumped up before a Rangers game.

We should go back to the old school opening the Rangers had back in the 90s with the “Ready to Go” video! Oreven the previous montage the Rangers had the last few seasons were better than Tom Renney’s coaching manifesto being voiced over crappy footage.

Or maybe the easiest solution is to just use the old opening montage to Ranger games at MSG that truly shows tradition and play that in the arena on the Gardenvison before the game – that always gets me pumped up.

They have no respect for the honor and tradition of this organization. Maybe they should all go to the Messier Leadership camp to learn something. It’s only $11,111. I’d love to know who could afford that by the way. I’d have to take a second mortgage out on my house and sell my wifes… I’d have to sell my wife! Damn the Rangers and how they ruin my life yearly. At least Dubinsky didn’t lose his fight

I’m sick and tired of Rosizval trying to force the puck to Jagr even when he’s surrounded by 3 guys. He tried to force a puck to him at the blueline instead of dumping it deep last night and it costs them a goal.

I’d also really like to see some fire out of Renney. Gomez gets elbowed, Guigere lifts the net off to stop play and Renney just stands there with his thumb up his ass.

And casino night. C’mon. I hope they have good security. I am sure someone might try to kill one of the rangers this year. Hell, if you like to gamble you don’t need casino night. You can just bet on which rangers team is going to show up on any given night.

I hate admitting this, but I am a totally different person when this team is winning games than when they are losing them. I hate that I let it get to me so much, but I do. I can’t help it for some reason. Since I have kids now, it doesn’t bother AS much, but it still really changes my mood. Oh well, here it goes. My name is Nasty 1 and I am a rangerholic. The first step is admitting there is a problem.

My wife keeps telling me we should go to Casino Night and I told her it was 500 each. The Rangers should be paying me for crap like that. Are you kidding me.

Nasty I am glad I was able to entertain you this more on this Broadway Blueballs day. I say that because everytime I think they are going to come out flying, I feel like I’m 15 again and some girl was getting me hot an bothered and then her parents pick her up. DAMN YOU MR AND MRS DELVECHIO

I was just thinking “you know what would be great, if Lou Lamoriello had an GM camp”. We could send Glen so he could learn to GM and put together a team that cares. Living in Jerz in Devils country I can see how much they care in there interviews with the local papers. They want it so bad that even though Sutter is a jerk they buy into the system. This is coming from a huge renney supporter.

Where are the “postive” people?
Salt, good post!
I’m also hoping they tank. It’s officially time to start looking to next season…when all these lame pieces of washed-up former hockey stars is gone.
PLEASE…get rid of Jagr, Shanny, Straka, Rozi, Mara, Strudwick, and on down the line are gone. How the hell is Jagr still on the first line. HE SUCKS! Hes old and can’t get out of his own way.
And Chris F.
How is Hank in the “untradeable” category? other than the beginning part of the season he has be terrible. He hasn’t been offered a contract, because he has been a sucking chest wound since before Christmas. Fine his dad is sick…go home for a while. Take a family leave.
“Honor, Respect, Tradition”?
You know who I honor and respect? Leetch, Messier, Graves, Richter and the others who actually gave a damn and cared about the Tradition that is the Rangers.

I don’t think the team played badly. It was more than anything a difference between the goalies. Gigure looked like a vezina level goalie while Lundqvist looked like Mark Andre-Fleury. As great as Lundqvist had been for the first two months he’s nearly been that medicore the last two months. It seems like every time he looks like he’s getting it in gear he tosses up a stinker like last night. I do have an issue with Renney going with the Jagr line late in the game looking for a goal rather than rewarding the Avery-Dubinsky-Callahan line that was the best Ranger line. The pp was a tale of two units the Drury-Gomez-Dawes pp unit credited all kinds of chance while Jagr, Straka, and Rozsival floated. Hopefully this is the last 25 regular season games Rozsival is playing. Mara and Strudwick fricken suck. The Rangers did show grit last night it looked like Orr was looking to knock Parros’ 1980’s poor stachse off his face. Shockingly Hollweg not only won his fight but he dominated. It is never a good thing when Blair Betts gets twice as many chances as Jagr or Gomez. The first goal was bad the seciond one was worse and the third one was a bad rebound after a terrible penalty was called on Tyutin. Lundqvist was dropping down on every shot and there was rebounds aplenty. Gigure on the other hand looked as good as ever. Getzlaf and Perry are two more stars from the ’03 draft man thank God Sather drafted Jessiman. I’m sure Renney will fix things. Watch Hossa be in the lineup over Dawes or Callahan on Saturday(because Renney can’t quit Hossa) Malik returning over dreck line Strudwick or Mara is fine by me. Valiquette imo needs to get the start vs the Flyers. The Flyers will come much much harder than they did last week.

I never leave a game early but last night I had too I actually walked out during the second intermission. I just had to leave. I turned to my girlfriend and said let’s go her jaw dropped I don’t think she ever heard me say that. I didnt even have the urge to put the radio on. I do not think its one persons fault and I do think they will pull off making the playoffs but they will drive us re fans to insanity while trying to make the playoffs. Also bally needs to start tomorrow

Btb the 4th goal against was a huge comedy of errors Rozsival instead of dumping the puck in the zone throws the puck at Jagr’s feet with 4 Ducks standing up at the line. The only thing worse was how Tyutin played the 2 on 1 he didn’t play the passer or the shooter he just lazily threw his stick out. staal: Lundqvist claims Sather and his agent are closing in on a contract extention.

I want Hank locked up long term. When we play a good defensive game in front of him he is amazing. Look at any goalie in the league. The best goalies are the best because of the team playing in front of them. Plain and simple.

I stopped watching midway thru the 3rd.
I now have the game on but now instead of watching the disaster unfold in front of me I read the disaster unfolding on this blog!

Wonder if Gomez is questioning his move to the Big Apple?
I actually feel bad for the guy. He goes from a team the worked hard and was competitive almost every night. to a team that is rarely competitive…I’m sick of here about the teams “hard work”

Let’s be honest here, the Rangers don’t have the right team to compete against the league heavyweights. Ottawa, Detroit, San Jose, Anaheim or whoever I just don’t see them having a chance. They are a playoff team and I can see them winning one round but I think it’d be better to build for the future and deal away some impending free agents. What does everyone else think? I think we didn’t have the size to compete last night. It was good to see a few guys stand up for each other but there are so many areas that need improvement. I wrote an article on last night’s game that I went to. If you feel like reading it go to my site link on here. Tell me what you think, it’s just my take anyway. I just think we need an overhaul here.

I agree. I like to see Valley start tomorrow as well. Let’s do it for Uncle Wheels, again! Ha. Anyone catch the close up of Dubinsky picking his nose at the start of the third last night? He picked a winner and rolled it in to a little ball. I wonder if he threw it at a Ducks player. Ha. Nasty!

Oh boy, it was not good last night, and I’m somewhat relieved that I only have a game or so left to go to…..it’s too hard to listen to “fans” booing and watching Hank let in soft goals and Ranger shots missing all over the place…..the ultimate – at the 8th Ave taxi stand last night a Ranger fan beat on an Anaheim fan who told us not to be angry at the loss “after all, they played the Stanley Cup Champions” …. the Ranger fan was pulled off the LA guy, only to have another Ranger fan rough him up…..ugly night all around

Beer Me!
You must be one of those “happy” drunks cause I can’t be positive about this team anymore. I can be happy about certain players, like Dubinski, Staal and Dawes, but as a whole I’m done with this team. I barely move off the couch when they score…just “yeah!”
I’m suffering from “DURD”
Depressive Underachieving Rangers Disorder

Ok Ranger fans what I am reading here is the players have no passion and the honor respect and tradition is not there. Why do you think that is??? What would it take for a team to turn this season around and get the passion back and play for NEW YORK, WITH HONOR, RESPECT AND TRADITION??? Or maybe the question is why havn’t we played with any of this ALL SEASON long???

My opinion on Jagr, good Ranger overall while he’s been with us.
As we all know, his lack luster effort is not just the last 7 games but the whole season……1 good game 7 or 8 not so good.
Lets deal him, get what we can and move forward already.

I also thought Montreal was the signature game for the season, guess the joke was on us.

I included Hank because I think his potential upside is to be a true franchise goaltender, and that his flashes of brilliance are real. I agree he’s been off this year and not managed as well as need be, but I think, especially compared to his peers, he has the potential to be marquee. I don’t think we could do better than him, but I do think we need to get more out of him and his talent.

The Rangers are no longer worth my time. I’ll still give them my money as a 3-seat season ticket holder, because I can usually sell the tickets or at least take a tax write off. But they are no longer worth my time. I hope more people start walking out early in the 3rd period like last night to send a message that we’ll vote with our feet. This is New York F’ing City. We deserve better. And until we get it, I’m through with the bums.

Jagr needs to get out of here, he has become so predictable with his passes and “moves.” The team is not going anywhere with him being treated like a scorer, ie the player he used to be.

Renney is just as predictable and it is time for him to go scout or coach in the ahl. Any other owner and that guy (and maybe Sather) would have been fired long ago. My friend and I were laughing our asses off when he called timeout at the end of the third down by three goals. I have never seen a team play so poorly up by two men.

The only thing left for me this season is to hope sather doesn’t make a stupid trade by mortgaging the future thinking that he can make a run at the cup this year. That to me would be worst than the rangers not making the playoffs and would set this franchise back.

My back is still not completely healed, but I am happy to take my chances. When we are done I will be happy to shake hands with each of you and buy a round? Come on, I think we will all feel better afterwards.

I’m just as frustrated as anyone about this team and I understand everyone’s anger.
But I don’t understand people giving up & trashing our team.
I’ll never give up & I truly believe we’ll turn this season around. WHY ? Because this is my team. Call me an idiot or call me naive, but I’m a Ranger fan till the end.
It’s good we have a site like this to vent our frustration otherwise more Duck fans would be getting their asses kicked at the Taxi stands.
I’ve been to many arenas to watch my Rangers play & there are always tons of Ranger fans in the oppositions home rinks.
We’re a special breed – be proud of that !
Rangers Forever !!

I will say this. Although many of us disagree, and hell, letâ€™s face it, many of us donâ€™t even like each other. I definitely know without any doubt we all care a hell of a lot about this team. We all want what is best for them. In some cases what is best for them couldnâ€™t be more different from one guy to the next, but we are all great fans.

They can’t show clips from the JD and GAG Line Era because the Dolans and Garden Management don’t even recognize that the Rangers existed prior to the 1993-94 season. How else can you explain the snubs of players like Brad Park and Andy Bathgate when it comes to retiring uniform numbers. I have said it before and I will say it again, the Rangers (and the Knicks as well) need something like the Ring of Honor that the Dallas Cowboys have. You can honor past greats (like Frank Boucher, the Cook Brothers, Davey Kerr and Chuck Rayner) without having to retire numbers.

Hell yea tony. 25 games left is scary considering we still haven’t brought it all together for anything longer than a weeks worth of games here or there. And call ME whatever you want, but until those last 10 games are played, anything is possible. Those games are against teams that we’ve beaten.

Beer me,
I’ve been a Ranger fan for over 55 years. I’ve seen it all.
From the absolute worst teams to a Stanley Cup Championship.
I supported this team in the 50’s & I support this team now.
And you are so right – anything is possible.

My girlfriend doesn’t want me to come home from work and watch the games. She wants me to tape them and then watch the next day while she’s at work and I’m home. But I can’t help it… I put the game on and she just looks at me… with sadness and pitty in her eyes and asks “why? would would you do that?”

My co-workers know just by looking at me, what the score was the night before.

Before I found this blog… I used to send blog type emails to fellow Rangers fans friends of mine… long emails… even though they probably didn’t want to hear about it. Now I spen hours at work… reading, typing… refreshing pages after pages on Rangers sites.

I have a problem. The Rangers affect my mood, my outlook and my life in general.

You are right anything is possible, but do you honestly want the Rangers to make the playoffs just to lose in the first or second round, thus keeping on Renney, Jagr and his pals. I honestly believe we would have just as much chance to qualify for the playoffs if we were to jettison Jagr, Shanny, Straka, Malik, Mara and probably Rosizval.

The east is so close we can still probably sneak in but would it be worth it.

Pete – BITE ME !
The Giants lost the first 2 games & gave up 80 points.
Fans wanted the coach fired & everyone thought drafting Eli was a big mistake. Everyone said even if they make the playoffs they would get killed.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE ! – BITE ME !!

I dont think we should trade anyone at the deadline unless we get prospects. If we hold onto some of these guys, a lot of them are UFA’s at the end of the year. Let Jagr, Shanny, Straka, Malik, Mara, Rosy, and Struds walk. Possibly Avery too but it depends on who we can get.

If the cap grows another 3 mil to 56 total, I think we have enough room to sign Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell, and maybe a guy like Brooks Orpik (I’d rather have John-Michael Liles but I dont think we’d have room if Campbell is gonna get what he’s projected to get).

Sign Henke to a $6.5-7.5 mil contract and pretty much resign all of our RFA’s while bringing up Baranka, Byers, and Moore. If we think Anisimov is ready for the NHL (which I don’t just yet), then we don’t really need Avery cuz I’d see him playing 3rd line center with Marcel on one side and Callahan on the other. Also bring up Monty only to see how he does in the NHL. Maybe he gives Henke some competition and at worst he’s at least trade bait for another role player that can fit in with the club on the 3rd or 4th line.

Jag’s is predicatble, but he said it in an interview a week or so ago that he doesn’t mind not getting the points as long as his line does. SOO, instead of passing to Jags all the time (DO YOU HEAR ME ROZI?) pretend to try and set him up all the while freeing up Gomez and Straka. Im tellig you, teams will not expect this at all, especially since Jag’s plays the carry the puck game he loves, and everyone knows this.
I will say this, Jag’s is definitely taking a beating lately, and he doesn’t cry bitch dive or anything, thats a great player. But Im confident he will surge with some points.

And the bottom line, and all be all to us ripping our hair out rangers fans is this:
25 games left
50 attainable points.
Miracle scenario= 110 points by end of season
Needed Scenario = 16 games won 32 points earned, 92 points by end of season
Worst case scenario = 68 points by end of season

As far as tomorrow’s game goes, Vali should definitely start. Hank is slacking a bit, and when Valli gets in there, the team does play alot differently.
Tyutin= SIT OUT A GAME! how mnay times must he screw up for Renney to bench him for a night and get the message through his thick skull
Strud is great for motivation and as a person, but he’s jsut so slow. I cant beleive im saying htis but i want Malik back in.
And Hossa, he has talent, we all saw lots of it last season, I hope renney puts him in full time once he’s healthy because he is a fighter in the corners and comes out with th epuck more often than not.

Why would you say we don’t like each other, how can you not like someone you don’t know. We have no idea what so ever what kind of a person we are, just by this blog. And if you are a Ranger fan than you are all good with me. We may disagree with how thi steam is handled but that don’t mean we don’t like each other come WE MUST BAND TOGEHTER AND BE AS ONE, LOL. Ok enough of that, lets kick flyer butt tomorrow.

Tony from AZ
I’m not old enough to have watched the Rangers in the 50’s, 60’s or even the 70’s (I’m 32)and I don’t know if you have followed the team that long… but I do bleed True Blue and I will sink with this team. However I call it like I see it and this team is going nowhere. I rip certain players not the team.
I rip Jagr…because he is not a leader, has never been a leader and this year is playing like a wash-up superstar.
I rip Malik…for obvious reasons.
I rip players who need a ripping.
I do absolutely root for this team however I’m now rooting for the youth movement,and for draft picks

I can be ok with playing Hossa for what he does on the boards. But there has to be a stipulation. One penalty he is done. And also, he has to shoot the puck. No matter what. Just shoot it if in a position to shoot.

tomg
Can we have a postive attitude for tomorrow’s game. We have enough negative after these games we lose?? I sure hope your wrong, it depends on which team shows up tomorrow. You know that’s what gets me is these guys have played good games so you think that they CAN DO IT IF THEY WANT TO.

tomg,
If you were really good you could predict who would score…LOL
I agree the Flyers are gonna come out…you know…Flying
5-3 Flyers sounds good, but you have to factor in the fact that we seem to play better against divisional teams.
3 goals by the Rangers…Drury, Dubinski, and Girardi will score.

Relax Tony, just stating my opinion. and football is a totally different game than hockey. if the rangers had to only play 16 games and then play one game in each playoff round sure they would have a chance. but these guys can’t win more than three games in a row without a meltdown. And the Giants had no one on the team as washed up as Jagr (maybe Madison but he wasn’t asked to be the whole team)

i want the team to do well consistently in the future, not just live year by year. sather and dolan don’t have that mentality so you will get ur wish and we will have to have a miracle run for the third year in a row just to qualify for the playoffs.

Yeah I’m a Rangerholic suffering from DURD. But I also have a harmless addiction with Aquariums where I have MTS. Multiple Tank Syndrome. Funny thing is I get to be the “Sather” of my fish tanks. If one of my fish is not up to par…we back to the store he goes.

I’m not trying to be negative. I’m a die hard ranger fan. I’m
putting aside that and looking at this team objectively. I tell it the way i see it. I am a realist, nothing to do with being positive or negative. Don’t shoot the messenger, shoot the players.

pete – yes, I honestly want my team in the playoffs. I don’t care if we have to scratch and claw to get in. If you care about the youth on the team, you should want them in the post season. We see every year teams light up the regular season and lay a turd in the playoffs. If these guys don’t get the experience, they’ll never make it. And I hope renney is back next year. I do believe that if Jags is not on the team next year, we will be more successful.

Pete, point noted.
I just want to win. The team is like one of my kids. I want nothing but the best for them & I’ll defend them until the end. I feel the joy of winning & I feel their pain in losing.
But, no matter how bad this season gets , it’s still better then being a Fishstick or a Debbie fan !!

I see a repeat of last year. a trade, a small run, maybe a round 1 win if they get 6th (all 3rd place teams are southeast beatables)

and that is crummy because it just covers up the rot, it postpones the inevitable, and it delays the move to a new younger, homegrown era of actual Ranger kids, not mercenaries from other teams who could care less about “Honor, respect, tradition” of a team they were just hired guns for.

speaking of the fish sticks, I kept telling my fishstick friends earlier in the season when they beat the rangers and I
told them that the islanders were p0laying one game a week while the rangers were playing three and both those loses were on the back end of a back to back. I also told them that the fishsticks wouldn’t make the playoffs because there not that good, well, how am i looking now boys!!!!!!

Hey, Debbie fans will watch their team compete and play a better game than we saw last night. Guaranteed. The Debs don’t take the night off and shoot 30+ shots from the blue lines – they are willing to get their shoes dirty and get into the paint. Outside of Dubs and occasionally someone else, we haven’t been doing it and it’s the same old same old record that is broken, broken broken. The Ducks are clearly an elite team with great Dmen and solid and physical forwards who like to check and can put the puck in the net. I’m tired of Straka and others dragging the pill trying to make perfect plays. Henrik looked pretty dapper after the game in a natty suit but he has been too pedestrian of late, we needed him to steal a game for us like Giggy did.

A vote of negativity here translates to a vote for positivity for the future.

Every passing game we lose coming up is, in a sickening way, good for the future of NYR hockey. I now understand that this concept is beyond the grasp of many of “us”, but it is indeed the hard truth.

I have however found a twisted enjoyment in mocking this team and organization at this point. With less than 2 minutes in the game last night, I could hear from the next room something along the lines of Rosen saying that the Rangers were running out of time to get something going… I mean.. just *legitimate comedy* at that point.

yea, its all good tony. i will always root for this team, and i honestly don’t root for them to lose. I just wish the management would finally committ to building us a solid team. I think gomez and drury will be good for this team heading forward, i am just sick of getting stars on the downward side of their career. Jagr is definitely try and that makes it even worse, I just don’t think he can compete at the level he and we are used to anymore.

and beer me, good point about giving the kids experience, just as long as none of the kids are traded in order to get that experience.

So I guess at this point of the season, us fans start to separate. There are those of us who root to win, and those that root to lose. I can’t believe though that some of you will sit in front of your tv and cheer when the devils, isles, or flyers score against us. Or worse…wear a rangers jersey to a game and cheer for the other team.

I wish sather could take lessons from Lou across the river. The devils know how to draft and build a team. You would think sather would be taking notes but sather is to proud and full of himself, to bad.

I can only speak for myself but I never said I won’t root for the rangers. I hope the rangers win 20 in a row but I am a realist so I tell it the way I see it but I’m not routing for them to lose at all. I just hope that sather doesn’t make stupid trades in thinking he can mortgage the future for a one year stanely cup run.

He too is a washed up old GM, you know… on the downside of his career. To bad Mess does swoop in and take that job with a high stick to the face and an elbow to the cheek. Wish Sather would just step down.

Well I did the actual math now. If we get rid of the expiring contracts that I said in my other post and the cap goes up another 3 mil, we’ll have about $22 million and I figure after RFA signings and also signing Avery and maybe holding onto Vally as a backup or AHL goalie, we’ll have around 17 mill to shop with. Hossa and Campbell are definately possible in that scenario, Liles not so much, Orpik probably as long as other teams don’t want to overpay for a physical defenseman like him.

Sather is the Bobby Clarke of the Rangers. a guy from the past who is full of disdain for the fans, a guy who spends most of his time on vacation, a guy who if you watched the Ranger draft special a few years ago when they were miked, you saw what a clueless out-of-the-loop lazy do-nothing he really is.

Before I state what I’m about to, know that I understand both sides of this, but my position on it is clear, so there’s no need to site my view of it again.

To those that want to lose and tear down the team b/c you think that even if we make the playoffs we won’t go anywhere….

I’m going to use the devils as an example b/c being a local team, we’re unfortunately familiar with their story.

The devils won what…3 cups in 9 or 10 years, or whatever it was? The years that they weren’t finishing #1, or had a tough time around the deadline, did they trade everyone and call it quits? And say, “well, if we can’t go in as the best, then what’s the point”? nope. They didn’t. And it’s good for them b/c they probably wouldn’t have won any after the 1st one.

There are obviously some guys on our team that need to go. For one reason or another, each have their own, and some are similar. But you can’t go trade your team because you’re on the bubble. We knew back before the lockout that things needed to change, and kicked off our rebuild. The pieces that we picked up are still in the process of ‘building’. It’s going to take some time to reap the benefits of tearing a team down. If you tear it down again, you’ll see the same thing over and over.

Hope that wasn’t too long-winded. I see why some of you want to give up and I don’t agree, and it’s a great thing that I don’t have to.

Beer Me!,
I agree, at this point the best thing sather and the rangers can do is play out the season with what you have and see what
happens. Next year will be a different looking team because of the ufa’s on the team. I do think next year though the rangers need to go in a new direction and what i mean is the Jagr era needs to be over next year.

’94 a distant memory – Hey, LA allegedly wanted Malik over the summer, so maybe they will help us again. Brian Boyle sounds like a nice player who could augment Strudwick because he an play forward and defense.

It’s hard to believe that we are better at this point than last season, but I guess we feel worse because the Rangers are playing whole games badly rather than whole periods.

The Devils are a hardworking team and what they didn’t have talentwise they made up with blood, sweat, and determination. Although they may have gone into the playoffs out of the first seed, they never *underachieved*. And if they do, there is hell to pay. They *never* coasted. They thrive on a culture of winning and have to in order to survive as an organization from the top to the bottom. If the Devils are ever consistantly bad, they’d go into legit jeopardy. They hardly sell out playoff games, imagine if they were awful.

Please do not compare the New Jersey Devils to the New York Rangers. The Devils are an exemplary hockey organization that has learned how to not only survive in awful NJ, but to compete consistantly at an extremely high level, and with very little star power and money. Arguably the hardest working team in hockey (much less to work with and far less glamour value than DET)

The Rangers organization has the *luxury* of having no real pressure to win. Ever. Ever. Look at this team. Complete embarrasment to the sport.

beer me, true the devils never tanked like the penguins, (exactly why the pens got lemuix and they didnt) but the devils ie Lou would never stand for this kind of play. Lou has no fear of firing his coach and after firing their coach towards the end of one season, i am pretty sure they won a cup. Lou probably overreacts, but do you think Renney would still have a job if he was coaching the devils and this is how they were performing. renney is a good guy i am sure, but he is not the solution. While firing him could lead to a total collapse, it could also cause the players to man up to the fact that their play has directly led to a guy they liked getting fired.

i hate the devils and their style of play, but they at least have a gm who gets the most out of his players. look how well they are doing now with mottau and rachunik, guys we got rid of (for good reason).

absolutley pete, I’m convinced people are grasping at straws at this point… NJD vs NYR… there have never been two teams as polarized as these!

However, it is my own flaw that I let that get to me though and that I always need to counter them…I do recognize this. And I hope and think BeerMe knows its not personal, and that I respect and enjoy arguing with him.

the reason players like rosival fuck up and give the puck to jagr is because he makes them. as the captain and a veteran he bitches and moans if his stats aren’t up and hes not getting laid. the guy has to either become a team player or get the hell out of new york because he is slowing everyone down. if jagr doesn’t get the puck enough times in a shift he stays double the time. not only does this fuck up the line rotation but when its time to backcheck and hes huffing and puffing from pulling a double shift, the other team usually scores or jagr takes a dumbass penalty like tripping or holding. this has got to end right away and the only reason the rangers have jagr is to sell tickets. the only thing that the rangers are doing the way that they want to is selling out their fans. renny is great and should stay. malik really isnt that bad but he has to go because you can’t perform well when you are booed at home, where you are supposed to be supported. rosival is a keeper and staal is a must. give hank a month at home in sweden and start valley then throw hank in for a couple games and i guarantee you he is a new man.

Sorry if this was posted before. Just got back from a road trip and there are 129 comments…. But I have not liked that Honor, Tradition crap from Game 1. And get rid of the Pirates of the Caribbean music! When did Disney take over the Garden!?!?

I really do not think you can blame Renney. he made the playoffs two years in a row after a seven year drought. I feel all of your pain but the fact remains the same they play a mamby panzy style of hockey. The only two lines I like is Dubinsky and Bett’s line. I am tired of watching Gomez skate the length of ice come across the blueline and slow down only to wrap the puck around the boards and come out the other side. It really is amazing how much they miss Nylander. He created more room on the ice for Jagr to do his thing and free himself up. If I were Renney I would simply put Holweg on the line with Jagr and I think that would free of some room for him for sure. The scary thing is is watching Henrik continue to let in soft goals